CHAPTER VIII.

NAVAL ENGAGEMENT AT MEMPHIS.-LIST OF OFFICERS AND BOATS.COMMAND UNDER COMMODORE J. E. MONTGOMERY.-"LOG" OF THE GUN-BOAT "PRICE," BY L. F. DELISDEMIER.-THE WOMEN OF LOUISVILLE.-MRS. H. I. SPOTTS.-MRS. DAVID LOONEY.-ANDREW JOHNSON.-CAPTAIN J. M. WINSTEAD.-CAMP CHASE, OHIO.-AN INCIDENT AT CAMP CHASE. ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE AT CAMP CHASE.OLD MEN AT CAMP CHASE.-CAMP CHASE-HOW SITUATED.-MRS. JUDGE CLARK, OF OHIO.-DR. CLIFF.-MRS. HARRY H. HEDDEN.

UR gun-boat flotilla arrived at Memphis,* on the evening u til Jane, 1961, to wait the arrival of

the Federal fleet, which came down about 9 o'clock of the same evening, and laid on "Paddy's Hen and Chickens," in sight of Memphis. On being informed of this, our commodore sent up a small tug, in charge of Captain Bennett, as a picket. By some mismanagement, she got aground, on the foot of the island, and she could not be got off with her own power; consequently the torch was applied, and she was left to her fate in flames. Nothing more of importance happened during the night, but the general understanding with all the fleet was, that we would not make a stand.

After daylight, on the morning of the 6th, we could see by the movements of the enemy, that they were making preparations to come down, for the Heavens were one solid cloud of black smoke. In the meantime, we were not idle in making preparations to back out in the stream, which we did, one after another, until our whole fleet, eight in number, were drawn in line of battle. It was

*The account of the naval fight at Memphis, is from the hands of the gallant Captain J. Henry Hart.

here we received the first intelligence, that we were going to make a stand. The enemy was now in full view, coming down in line of battle. The following boats were sent up, to draw the Federal gun-boats off of the bar: General M. Jeff Thompson, Sumpter, General Beauregard, and Colonel Lovell, from the fact that they had sixty-four-pound guns mounted on their bows. The fire was opened by the Thompson, but not until she had fired three rounds, did the enemy make any reply. The fire on the Federal side was opened by the flag-ship Benton. The fight now became general. Brisk firing from both sides, was the order of the day. It was while the battle was raging with intense fury, between our rams and the Federal gun-boats, that their rams made their appearance; first came the Queen of the West, which made a bee-line for the Colonel Lovell, which tried to back out of the way, but in so doing, got in such a position, as to show her opponent a broad-side, when she run into her, and sunk her immediately, in water her hurricane deck, in the channel of the river. Life-boats were immediately dispatched from the Little Rebel, to assist her crew in getting ashore. Before the Queen of the West could regain her position, the Confederate ram Sumpter struck her in midships, sending her ashore, during the balance of the engagement. Next came the Switzerland, bearing down on the Sumpter. The Beauregard next in turn singled out the Switzerland, for her antagonist. The Federal ram, seeing her intention, drew off from the Sumpter, and headed down on the Beauregard; they struck head on, but glanced, placing the Switzerland hors du combat, knocking down her bridge-tree, when she had to go ashore, where she threw out her sharp-shooters as pickets. Next came the Federal ram Monarch, in chase of the Jeff Thompson, she at the same time rounding to, head up stream, followed by the Monarch; here the General Price was put under a heavy head of steam, to overtake the Monarch, which she did, striking her a heavy blow in the starboard quarter, driving in her hull, and rounding her to, after which she stopped to back around and give her another blow; but, unfortunately, the Beauregard

had made a dash at the Monarch, and missed her object, and striking the Price on the port-side, completely disabling her. During this, with only one wheel left, she managed to get ashore, but too late for the crew to make their escape; disabled as she was, the enemy kept up a constant fire into her; for humanity's sake, the "stars and bars" were hauled down. It was about this time, the Beauregard got headed up again to meet another of her adversaries, when a shell was shot into her hull and burst, damaging her boilers and hull; killed one engineer, and wounding three others, and scalding three firemen. She was unfit for duty, floated down the river about onefourth of a mile, and sunk in twenty feet water, face to the enemy, and colors flying. It was about this time, the Little Rebel made a dash at one of the rams; but before she could reach her, received a shot in her boilers, when she kept her course into the shore, where all but three made their escape. In the meantime, the Sumpter had been run ashore, and crew all escaped; also the Thompson was run ashore, and burned to the water's edge. The General Bragg stood off and looked at the fight, likewise the General Earl Van Dorn; neither offering any assistThe Bragg, in attempting to round to, to make good her retreat, was run into by one of the Federal rams, which drove in her side. The crew of the Bragg nearly all made their escape in yawls and life-boats. The Van Dorn, handling much better than the Bragg, was fortunate in making good her escape. Thus ended one of the hottest naval engagements ever fought in the Mississippi. The following is a list of the principal officers, as far as we can ascertain :

ance.

Earl Van Dorn.-Captain, Isaac Fulkerson; Purser, Charles Reynolds; First Officer, John W. Jordan; Second Officer, John Mardis; Chief Engineer, Wm. Hurst; First Assistant Engineer, John Swift, William Camon and William Molloy.

General Sterling Price.-Captain, Thomas E. Henthorn; Purser, L. F. Delisdemier; First Officer, N. J. Henthorn; Second Officer, George L. Richardson; Chief

Engineer, William Brauden; First Assistant Engineers, William Orin, W. W. Hayden and Oscar Postall.

General Beauregard.-Captain J. Henry Hurt; Purser, J. C. Haynes; First Officer, R. D. Court; Second Officer, John Rawson; Chief Engineer, Joseph Swift; First Assistant, Edward Connolly; Pilot, J. Pope Altram.

General Bragg.-Captain W. H. H. Leonard; Purser, William Riply; First and Second Officers, names unknown; Chief Engineer, John Porter; First Assistant Engineer, Henry Sisson; Pilot, James Russel.

Sumpter.-Captain Wallace W. Lamb; Purser, John Wilbanks; First Officer, Lemuel Murray; Second Officer, name unknown; Chief Engineer, Robert T. Patterson; First Assistant Engineer, John Ramsey; Pilots, Thad Siederburg and Moses Gray.

Little Rebel.-Captain J. White Fowler; Purser, Chas. Smedly; First Officer, James Wall; Second Officer, name unknown; Chief Engineer, Gus Mann; First Assistant Engineer, William Reeder; Pilots, Newton Pue and John Bernard.

General M. Jeff Thompssn.-Captain, John Burk; Purser, James Bissell; First Officer, Louis Camfield; Second Officer, Henry Moore; Chief Engineer, Thomas Mitchell; Pilots, Barney Arnold and Daniel Thomas.

General Lovell.-Captain James C. Dellaney; Purser, Hardy; First Officer, Thomas Johnson; Pilot, William Cable,

Commodore of the fleet, J. E. Montgomery.

The Federal fleet consisted of sixteen mortar-boats, six rams, and eight gun-boats, besides any number of tugs and transports.

The cause of our disaster at Memphis, was from a series of incidentals to the campaign on the Mississippi. The original occupation of Columbus, was a stragetic stroke of policy. The advance of the gun-boats did not intimidate, and we continued to hold Columbus. The advance of the enemy's land forces, on the opening of the Tennessee river, by which Columbus would be outflanked, compelled the evacuation of that point. We fell back to Island Ten, to there check the gun-boats, while our land

forces, assisted by gun-boats, held in check General Pope's grand army, at New Madrid. The occupation of Point Pleasant, and its fortifications, by the enemy, by which transportation was cut off, and our gun-boats would be compelled to go below, involved the evacuation of New Madrid, which was a good movement in its conception, but badly executed, in a slovenly manner, ill becoming the commander that directed it. But instead of falling back, we advanced into the enemy's lines, and we were all moved to Island Ten. This we continned to hold, although outflanked by the enemy, on both flanks, and it was held until the battle of Shiloh, when we were surrendered. This gallant little band, after suffering many privations, had to yield to a military necessity, and were given up. The surrender of Island Ten compelled the Confederate forces to fall back to Fort Pillow, so as to keep up a corresponding line with their land forces, as all armies, when occupying positions, if a flank is thrown forward, hold theis position, until sustained by the other flank or the centre. This is a rule, advancing or retreating. When our army withdrew from Corinth into the Mississippi, our fleet should have retired to Vicksburg, and thus under its guns sustained the line of defense. The battle of Memphis ought not to have been fought, and when it was, it ought to have had the presence of the entire Confederate fleet; and as it was badly managed, defeat was a consequence, and the brave and gallant men, many who are in prison with us, and whose names I have given, suffered a defeat that there was no necessity for. The boats were manned by daring crews, commanded by hardy officers, as dashing men as we have in the Confederate service, and they had every element to insure victory, in an engagement with an enemy upon equal footing, and would have been willing to have fought them with one to two; but they could not fight a fleet of (16) mortar-boats, (6) rams, and (8) gun-boats, and innumerable tugs and transports, opposed to some half dozen gun-boats and rams successfully. It was a terrific fight, and right gallantly did our heroes of the Mississippi sustain their reputation for chivalry; for in spite of the great disparity